Circular rib knitting machine



Unted Q CS Patent C CIRCULAR RIB KNIT'I'ING MACHINE Maurice H. Felker, Lakeport, N.H., assignor t Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N.H., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 20, 1958, Serial N0. 722,691

4 Claims. (Cl. 66-157) This invention relates to a circular rib knitting machine and more particularly to means for trapping mis placed yarn. The invention will be shown and described in connection with a multi-feed rib kni-tting machine hav ing a stationary needle cylinder but it should be unders tood this invention is not necessarily limited to 21 machine having a stationary needle cylinder, as it is equally useful in a revolving cylinder machine.

On circular rib knitting machines, when a yarn is taken out of action, it is customary te out and clamp the yarn. Experience shows that if a yarn coming from the yarn finger should not become properly clamped and cut, trouble occasionally occurs in the following manner. When a yarn iinger is swung out of action its feeding end is above the dial and as the yarn finger revolves in a staitonary needle cylinder machine, the yarn tends to move radially in en top of the dial. The customary construction for a dial of an independent needle circular knitting machine involves locating the independent needles in radial slots between walls upstanding from the upper face of the dial. The operating butts of the needles pro ject upward beyond the walls in order that they may he grasped by the dial operating cams and the needles mo ved radially as required. These operating cams are located on the lower face of the dial cap. There is slight clearance between these operating cams and the upper edges of the needle walls. Experience shows that a yarn coming from the yarn finger, if not caught in the yarn clamp and cut, tends to find its way into the space between the dial cams and the dial and to wrap itself around the outer edges of the operating butts of the needles. If not detected shortly, the yarn will be wound around those butts and tend to immobilize the needles. It is an ob ject of the present invention to prevent inactive yarn going under the dial. It is characteristic of a knitting machine coutaining the invention that the outer ends of the needle walls are notched or undercut so that they will catch and hold any yarn which tries to go under the dial cap and to provide a yarn stop motion detector adapted to be operated by any accumulation or build up of wrappings of improperly fed yarn in the notches at the ends of the walls.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical view in section through one edge of a dial cap and dial of a circular rib knitting machine built accordng to the invention shovving a yarn stop motion detector ready to detect yarn in the notches of the walls.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the dial and stop mo tion detector of Figure 1 showing, in section, a quantity of yarn caught and wound in the recessed periphcry formed by the notched walls. The yarn has built up sufliciently to move the detector counterclockwise, as shovvn by the arrow, and to operate the switch which stops the machine.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of one of the walls of the dial of the machine of Figures 1 and 2.

The invention will be shown embodied in a multi-feed circular hosiery machine adapted to make body garments ice such, for example, as underwear or outer wear such as sweaters, and the embodiment in which t will be described is one in which the needle cylinder is stationary. Only so much of the machine as is directly concerned with the invention will be shown inasmuch as the rest of the machine is conveutional. The machine has a needle cyl inder 1 and independent needles 2 moving vertically themin as in any other circular knitting machine. The machine has a dial 3 and a dial cap 4, the latter being conveniently divided into sections. Of course there is relative rotation between the dial and the cap. Adapted to move radally in and out on the upper face of the dial are independent latch needles 5 having operating butts 6 located toward their radially inner ends as theylie in the machine. to be engaged by needle-operating cams 7 mounted face downward on the lower face of the dial cap 4. Near the periphery of the dial mounted in a radial manner are thin upstanding nedle walls 8 adapted to guide the needles and keep them properly spaced as they move back and forth radially. The form of dial shown is one in which there are inserted walls but it should be pointed out that machines are also built Without inserted walls and the invention is equally applicable to them. The outer ends of the walls 8 terminate at a point just radially inward of the outer edge of the dial cap. The outer end of each wall 8 is notched or undercut at 9. In the example shown the notch comprises or occupies the entire end of the wal]. This open notch, facing radally outward, performs a function in connection with the trappng of improperly fed yarn as will be hereinafter described.

There is an electric stop motion unit 10 with a pivoted detector 11 adjacent the dial cap 4. The detector is adapted to pivot about a vertical axis and has a tip 12 projecting laterally into an operative position in the notches 9 of the walls 8. The tip is rounded at the end to approximate the shape of the notches and to permit it to roll on the yarn when the detector is operated. This detector unit 10 being carried by the dial revolves past all the needle walls 8.

Any inactive yarn coming from the yarn finger 13 (Figure 1) which is not trapped in a yarn clamp (not shown) becomes msplaced and is l-iable to be dnawn toward the center of the knitting machine if left free. Since the idle yarn finger is above the level of the dial, the inactive yarn tends to go in above the needle walls 8, and below the dial cap 4. However, experience shows that any such idle yarn will sooner or later present itself at the level of the needle walls. The needle walls terminate at their outer ends adjacent or slightly inside the periphery of the dial cap with the result that any yarn located at the level of the needle walls becomes laid in the notches 9. The catching of the yarn in the notches 9 serves to place and start the misplaced yarn so that an accumulaton 12 of yarn is begun. This accumulation 12 is of value because the build up formed by the accumulaton will sooner or later cause the yarn detector 11 to revolve and trip the stop motion unit 10 in the conventional manner. After the improperly fed yarn has been removed from about the dial, the yarn from the supply package or cone (not shown) may be properly threaded and clamped, and the stop motion detector reset preparatory to starting the machine in operation again.

It will be seen that by means of this invention the yarns are prevented from getting in above the needles, immobilizing them, and causing a smash. Furthermore, the turns of the misplaced yarn thus kept away from the needle butts are placed so close together that their build up can be detected more promptly.

The invention is of particular usefulness in multi-feed circular rib knitting machines.

These upstanding butts 6 are adapted What is clamed is:

1. A circular rib kntting machine having a dial, independent needles therein, upstanding operatng butts on the needles, a -cap above the dial, and operatng cams on the cap for the needle butts, in combnation Wth needle wal-Is for the necdles on the dial havng undercut notches in the outer ends thereof just nward of the outer edge of the dial cap, and a yarn stop moton detector on the cap adapted to detect accurnulation of yarn in the notches; whereby any msplaced nactve yarn above the dial Will be caught in the notches and detected.

2. A circular rib knitting machine havng a stationary dial, independent needles thercn, upstandng operating butts on the needles, a revolving cap above the dial, and operatng cams on the cap for the needle butts, in combinaton with needle walls for the needles on the dial havng undercut notches in the Outer ends thereof, said outer ends terminatng radially inward of the outer edge of the dial cap, yarn fecding rncans located above the dial when in inactive positon, and a yarn stop motion detector on the cap adapted to detect accumulation of yarn in the notches; whereby any misplaced inactve yarn above the dial will be guided into the notches and detected.

3. A circular rib knitting machine having a dial, inde pendent needles theren, a dial cap, there being rclative rotation between the dial and cap, upstandng operating butts on the needles located under the cap, opcrating cams On the cap for the needle butts, a pvoted yarn finge1 located above the level of the dial and needle walls upstandng from the upper face of the dial; there beng undercut notches in the outer ends of the walls near the perphery of the cap, sad outer ends terminating just radially nward of the outer edge of the dial cap; in combinaton with a yarn stop moton detector having rotary motion relatve to the dial adapted to detect accumulation of yarn in the notches; whereby any misplaced inactive yarn above the dial will be guided into the notches and detected.

4. A circular rib kntting machine according to claim 3 in which the end of the detector conforms in shape to the notches whereby the detector will be tripped sooner than otherwise.

References Cited in the file of ths patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,084,559 Mills Jan. 13, 1914 

